Whatever Happened to the Love Feasts?

Love Feasts you say?  What is that you say?  Would you be surprised to learn that there was a tradition in the first and second century church that we not only no longer observe, but many of us really have no idea what it was or why the early church observed it?   Well, allow me to introduce you to the Love Feast – what we in modern terms might call a Pot Luck Dinner – but one with a real purpose.  In my sermon this past Sunday (Click Here ), I made a passing reference to the Love Feasts as one of, but probably not the best, possible understandings of the meaning of “breaking of bread” in Acts 2:42.  I thought I might tell you a little more about it here and raise the question as to whether it is something we ought to resurrect in the modern church.

We know that when Jesus initiated the Lord’s Supper (or communion or Eucharist as it is often called among some groups), he did so at the end of a meal – the Passover meal, in fact.  We also know that it was a common practice throughout the early church for the Christians to get together and eat as a group.  For example, Acts 2:46 tells us how the early church would get together and eat from house to house.   Although in my sermon this past Sunday I asserted that “breaking of bread” in Acts 2:42 (as well as Acts 2:46) refers mainly to the Lord’s Supper itself and not this Love Feast, the phrase “ate their food with gladness” in verse 46 certainly implies that a full blown meal was a regular part of what the early church was doing together.  I have read (sorry, can’t remember where I read it – perhaps one of my Systematic Theology books) that one possible reason for this was to avoid inadvertently eating meat sacrificed to idols.  However, it is also true that the early church would often have a meal just prior to the observance of the Lord’s Supper.  Most believe that this practice is what is being referred to as the “agape” (i.e., love) feasts of Jude 1:12 and probably even 2 Peter 2:13.

Although very little is known about this practice, we know that it is a practice that resulted in many abuses in the church.  It was the abuses of this practice, in fact, that caused Paul to chastise the church in Corinth in 1 Corinthians 11.  Even the passages in both Jude and 2 Peter allude to the fact that some were abusing and misusing the Love Feasts for their own benefit.  Perhaps because of situations like these, the practice of the Love Feast was originally separated from the observance of the Lord’s Supper.  The prolific first century letter writer, Pliny the Younger, actually wrote a letter once to Emperor Trajan telling him in part about these feasts, which he described as happening separately and after the Christian observance of the Lord’s Supper (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agape_feast).   Several early church patriarchs, such as Ignatius, Turtullian, and Clement, speak of its observance, but even they often refer to the abuses that took place (drunkenness, disorder, etc.).  Augustine actually objected to its observance at all because of the propensity to abuse it.  Supposedly (I have not tried to verify this), the love feast was ultimately forbidden by the Council of Laodicea in 363-364AD.  And so its practice ultimately ceased.  Why did they forbid it?  Because it was being abused and by that time the mediaeval church had begun to place such a central focus on the Eucharist that the Love Feast itself probably lost its original meaning in their worship.

Several attempts to revive the practice have occurred over the years, including current, modified versions of the practice by the Moravian church.  There was even a semblance of a revival of the practice by the Methodist church.  However, the original idea of the Love Feast – at least as I would expect that it should have been observed - is not a widespread practice among Christians today.  But maybe it is something that we as Christians ought to seriously consider and look at once again.

Now let me just say that I have no evidence to back up anything I am about to say other than the application of the scriptures themselves. But consider the following line of thinking.  In Matthew 22, Jesus speaks of the parable of the wedding feast.  Although he is primarily speaking here of bringing people into the knowledge of salvation, the picture and idea of the Wedding Feast cannot be ignored.  Can the idea of a Wedding Feast be a metaphor for the Agape (Love) Feast?  Maybe or maybe not, but what is clear is the fact that in the parable, the servants (who represent you and me) are told to go out to the highways and byways and bring in those we find.   In the same version of that parable in Luke 14, Jesus follows up by saying in verse 13 “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind.”  How many of us have thrown feasts where we have specifically invited the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind? I dare say not many of us.  Why not?  Aren’t we in the business of obeying Christ’s commands?   What better way to “Love your neighbor as yourself” than to throw such a “love feast” as that? 

I would be surprised if the early church of the first and second century did not specifically include the poor and needy in their Love Feast celebrations. In fact, when I read 1 Corinthians 11:21-22 I am sure of it:  “21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?”  It sounds like there were those at the feast who were less fortunate than others - but they were being shunned and ignored.

Finally, there is the fact that originally, the Love Feast was done as a precursor to the observance of the Lord’s Supper.  When you consider how partaking of the Lord’s Supper is a testimony of our faith in Christ and a picture of his death for our sins, what better evangelistic tool would there be than to invite the lost to come to a dinner (thus showing them Christ-like love) and then testifying to that love through the observance of the Lord’s Supper?

So what am I suggesting here?  I don’t know whether I am suggesting anything at all.  However, I am contemplating and offering for consideration the possibility that there is something here that we should think about.  Sure I love eating like the next guy and we are probably just as prone to abusing the notion of the Love Feast as was the early church.  But what a wonderful testimony and display of Christian love would it be for us to set aside a regular time to just throw a big love feast – invite the public – that is, anyone that will come – feed them a good potluck dinner – have a short evangelistic message – and then celebrate with the observance of the Lord’s Supper.

What do you think?  Am I totally out of line here?  I would love your thoughts.